Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Charlie smirked, meeting my gaze.

“You mean Lena? Your mate?"

“Y-yes," I stammered, shaking my head.

“No news is good news," he replied, clapping me on the shoulder before he turned and walked away.

Adrian came up to my side, watching Charlie retreat into the depths of the massive boat made for war.

“What are we getting into when we get to Breles?" he asked.

“One last stand," I replied with a sigh, watching as the sun hung lazily over the Isles as we passed.

***

Troy pointed to a map in the center of the table beneath a wide canvas tent, his face covered in grime and dried blood. Keaton and Rowan leaned to look down at the map, squinting in the flickering lantern light.

“Here, and here. Another hive was discovered here, this morning," Troy breathed, his voice laced with exhaustion.

I licked dry lips, shaking my head as the sounds of battle ricocheted through the tent. Explosions went off every few minutes, echoing through the sprawling metropolis of Breles, which stretched for miles. The vampires were right on the edge of the city now, trying to push in, but were being held back by our forces.

But there was a shift in the battle tonight. While Troy pointed to what they had been calling “hives," which were groups of vampires who had taken cover during daylight hours in the remains of the outer neighborhoods in Breles, I had a sinking feeling in my gut that it wouldn't matter. Taking out the known hives in the daylight meant we had to make it through the night.

And with every passing minute, that seemed more and more unlikely.

Rowan heaved a breath. He met my eye, his expression telling me we'd been thinking the same thing.

“My forces are ready–" I began, but Troy waved his hand as he sighed and reached up to run his hands through his filthy hair.

Rowan shifted his weight, then leaned forward with his hands resting on the table. His eyes moved from the map to my face, where they fixed on my own. “If we lose our hold on Breles," he said with a tremble in his voice, “your forces will be needed to defend Valoria."

His words echoed through my mind, slicing me to my core. The look in the eyes of the men standing before me, kings of their lands, told me everything I needed to know about what was going to happen tonight.

An explosion shook the tent, which was in the center of the war camp. We were near the edge of the city, only a mile away from where the combined forces of the pack lands were battling with the vampires trying to lay waste to Breles.

Wolves ran by in suits of armor, followed by warriors decked out in spears and knives, some made of wood. Rowan had listened to me then. He'd really listened when I told him everything I knew about their realm and their ways–their strengths, and most importantly, their weaknesses.

I hadn't been in the front lines, not yet. We'd only arrived an hour and half before and were immediately escorted here, to the tent where the

Alphas and Betas were gathering to discuss their next moves.

Adrian was currently with our forces, awaiting my instruction.

I realized, as I met the eyes of Troy, Keaton, and Rowan, that those instructions wouldn't be more than surviving the night.

“This is it," Troy breathed, looking from Keaton to Rowan with a tight nod.

“We'll pull our forces back, have them hold strong in the city center," Rowan said, pointing to the map.

“Torch the outer neighborhoods," Troy added, running his finger across the map, a distant look in his eyes.

Torch the neighborhoods?

I knew the city had been evacuated several weeks ago, but still, the idea of laying waste to the entire territory was unfathomable.

“When morning comes, and they seek shelter, they'll do so here, and here, possibly here," Rowan continued, dark circles lining his eyes. “That is where we'll hit them–"

“They're going to keep coming," I interrupted.

The men looked up at me, their eyes dark and weary from lack of sleep. “You clear out one group of his warriors and more will take their place by nightfall!"

Troy leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest.

I shook my head, looking down at the map and scanning it for Crimson Creek. If I could get there… if I could get my forces there, even just a group of my best warriors....

If I could get back through the portal and finish the job. Kill the king....

If I could get back through the portal and finish the job. Kill the king....

I eyed each man for a moment before I turned on my heel and walked out of the tent. Night was choking the city. Generators powered the camp, but that was it. The towering buildings of downtown Breles stood like pillars of shadow as I turned my head toward the front line. Fire blazed in the distance, and muffled shouts of frustration, fury, and terror sent a vibration through the war camp.

Wolves and warriors in their human forms were either sprinting to replace those fighting in the front lines or tending to the injured, or asleep where they'd come to a stop. I stepped over a trio of wolves sprawled out in the mud, still in their armor, fast asleep where they lay. It was madness, and my stomach was in knots by the time I reached the corner of the camp, where our forces from Egoren had been stationed with barely enough room for my men to lay down on the sodden earth beneath windblown tents.

Ash covered everything. The smell of the sick, dying, and dead hung in the air as I passed several medic tents. Charlie had told me about the blood that had been sent down from Winter Forest. Even a drop of Queen Rosalie's blood was enough to heal flesh wounds and the like. But some of the injuries I saw as I passed by were… horrific, absolutely gruesome. I turned away from the tent as a blood-soaked medic placed a sodden sheet over the body of one of his patients.

Adrian was standing outside one of the canvas tents, his eyes heavy as he spoke with two men I recognized as John and Colton, two of our

greatest warriors with specialized combat training. They bowed their heads briefly as I walked up, turning to leave. Adrian ran his fingers through his hair and nodded in my direction, his shoulders slumping.

“Looks like we showed up late to the game," he groaned.

“A losing game," I breathed, peering through the tent flap at the warriors who were going through their packs and readying for their next command. None of them had been out of our realm before, and the journey here had been incredible for them, I had no doubt of it. But when the ship pulled into Breles, everything changed. The sallow, wasted looks on their faces cut through my soul as I pulled Adrian aside.

“I'm taking five men and going to Crimson Creek," I said. Adrian, to my surprise, didn't argue. He didn't say anything as I continued, “You need to stay here and keep our men out of the battle that's going to take place tonight."

“What? Why?"

I exhaled, nostrils flaring as I looked around to make sure we weren't overheard.

“This is it, okay? Breles is going to fall–tonight. There are too many vampires pushing against the front line. The Alphas are going to pull that line back to the city center and torch the outskirts of the city come daybreak."

“But if the city center falls as well–"

“I know. Be ready to get our men out. There's already talk of sending them to Valoria, to Mirage. If King Nikolas is able to invade Valoria–" Bile rose in my throat at the thought, and I shook my head, unable to finish the sentence.

“I understand," Adrian nodded, his blue eyes piercing mine for a long moment.

“If I don't come back," I said, reaching into my inner jacket pocket and placing a piece of paper in Adrian's hand, “take Lena back to Egoren. You'll be the Alpha until our daughter is old enough to rule."

Adrian gripped the letter in his hand as I clapped him on the shoulder. I turned toward the tent, grinding my teeth as I strode inside to pick which warriors would be following me into what I was sure was certain, unavoidable death.